FDL Area United Way celebrates $500,000 in prescription savings

FOND DU LAC – The Fond du Lac Area United Way announced that residents of Fond du Lac County have saved over $513,000 on their prescription medications, due to its partnership with FamilyWize, an organization focused on improving the health and well-being of individuals, families and communities.

Through this partnership, the United Way has helped promote the free, easy to use FamilyWize Prescription Savings Card, which has helped more than 10 million Americans save more than $1 billion on their prescriptions.

“People should never have to choose between putting food on the table or taking their prescription medication,” said Amber Kilawee, Fond du Lac Area United Way executive director “That’s why we formed a partnership with FamilyWize. Their free prescription savings card can reduce the costs of prescriptions for anyone who uses it. It’s an extremely valuable resource that everyone, regardless of their financial situation, should use.”

The top three prescriptions by therapy class that residents of Fond du Lac County saved on were mental health, heart disease and analgesics/pain medications. In 2016, 553 people were helped for a total savings of $140,534. Twenty-nine percent of the individuals who saved on their prescriptions were 65 and older and 8 percent of the 553 people served were under 18.

FamilyWize cards immediately lower the cost of medicine by an average of 43 percent and potentially more for people without insurance or who take medications not covered by their plan. Just by presenting the FamilyWize card at their local pharmacy, customers save on the cost of their prescription medicine, no strings attached.

The FamilyWize prescription savings card can be used by anyone, including people with Medicaid or Medicare, and not just people without insurance. The use of the FamilyWize Prescription Savings Card is unlimited, does not require any personal information from the user and has no eligibility criteria.

To take advantage of the savings that FamilyWize offers, consumers can print a card from familywize.org, call United Way at 920- 921-7010 and request a card to be sent to them, or the card can be downloaded from the free FamilyWize app. The card can also be found at the Fond du Lac Senior Center, Mountain Dog Media, the Aging and Disability Resource Center and the FDL Area United Way Office.